American – European divergence
Nothing could better describe the difference between Trump’s America and the main powers in Europe, Germany, France and the UK, as divergence, a difference or conflict in opinions, interests, and wishes, simply a fundamental divergence of attitude. Many other European countries fall in the same categories, but some do not, like Italy, Hungary, Poland and Austria. This was obvious when Vice President JD Vance visited Europe and the Munich Security Conference. Vance had a glorious roasting of Europe’s leaders, and it was an unexpected spectacle to witness a self-made successful MAGA American torching the grey-faced, overpaid European technocrats. Vance did not hold back. He eviscerated the assembled dignitaries for their failings on free speech, democracy and security. Vance lamented the retreat of Europe from some it its most fundamental values. This is likely words that will have resonated with millions of Europeans.
It was on the subject of freedom to speak that Vance made his most stinging comments. “Across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat”, he told his started audience. They are not able to understand the American way of thinking, but they have not experienced the assault of free speech in the U.S. during the Biden regime, where hundreds of thousands account at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media were closed for political reasons. Elon Musk bought Twitter and made it a free speech outlet and others have changed their rules after Trumps victory. They would not have done that without Trump, as the democrats openly have been against free speech and political freedom. Trump released the J6 political hostages, and nobody in the U.S. objected to this. Vance told a stunned audience that recent acts of outrageous censorship would have made Stalin beam with pride.
He mentioned police raids in Germany on citizens suspected of posting anti-feminist comments online. Believe it or not but criticizing feminism is a blasphemy in woke Germany. Vance rebuked Britain for its tragic backslide away from conscience rights and that basic liberties of religious Britons are being throttled. Vance gave an example of Christians being arrested for silently prayer near abortions clinics. The UK under the Labour government and Keir Starmer has rapidly gone downhill. The once great nation that gave the world such game-changing freedom warriors as John Milton and John Stuart Mill now erects buffer zones around abortion clinics in which you can be nabbed by police for praying. Britain has also arrested people for online posts and so-called thought crimes. Little wonder that Vance said he is most concerned about the UK.
The Euro bureaucracy hides behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation to silence those who simply have an alternative viewpoint. Never a truer word. On every issue, from Covid to the gender ideology to mass immigration, what the European overlords refer to as misinformation, is usually just thinking that differs from their own. Such stern policing of dissenting words is a menace to democracy. Vance said “Dismissing people and shutting people out of the political process, thi is the most surefire way to destroy democracy”.
Vance had stiff words for those who accuse Elon Musk of interfering in European democracy and argued that expressing opinions is not election interference. There is a complete breakdown between European and American democracy views and values. The Europeans would have sided with Biden and the American establishment as they tried to destroy Trump by trying to block him from running in 16 states, sue him in court, try to lock him up, try to assassinate him and literally do anything to stop him from become president again. The democrats cannot understand how they failed, and the Europeans understand even less.
JD Vance cannot believe what has become of the cold war winners. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, Europe was meant to enter a new era of liberty and possibility. Yet now, Vance argues, Europe is now mimicking their old Soviet foes by censoring dissidents, shutting down media, and even cancelling the results of democratic elections, like in Romania recently. His message to the Europeans is to trust people and let them think freely even when they express views that disagree with their leaders. And that is exactly the fundamental thought of the MAGA movement. That the old belief that ordinary people can make a pretty good fist of their lives and do not need a machinery of state to push this way and that. The state does not know best.
Vance speech was both some fresh air as a hurricane of good sense. It was a storm of reason that has left many in Europe wide-eyed and wanting more, whereas, not surprisingly, the left-wing press is accusing him of attacking Europe. Vance urged us to rediscover the blessings of liberty. His speech was firm but it was also kind and he is showing how fresh, radical and daring the new Trump administration is. Trump wants new radical freedom solutions, peace between enemies and no more state-sponsored corruption. He is fundamentally shaking up the politics and Europe is not ready for that. It is too old-school, too corrupt and lacks innovation. The difference between Trump’s America and Europe is tremendous and it will continue to grow, the divergence might eventually evolve to an abyss.